VIPUL AMRUTLAL SHAH

Article Updated 02 April, 2007 05:52:27 AM IST

VIPUL AMRUTLAL SHAH - Interview

'Aankhen' was a thriller, 'Waqt' a family drama, and now 'Namastey London' is a romantic film. Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah has completed a hat-trick of success and he is fast emerging as a director who can handle different genres with perfection. Vipul started his career with Guajarati plays and moved on to television to make some of most popular soaps like 'Ek Mahal Ho Sapnon Ka' and 'Alpviram', then the big screen. 'Namastey London' is also the film in which he has worked without Amitabh Bachchan. Vipul Shah speaks to Bollyvista about 'Namastey London' and his future plans. Over to Vipul:

This is the first time you worked without Amitabh Bachchan, any particular reason?

Before 'Namastey London' happened, I was planning a hard core action film with Mr. Bachchan and Akshay but unfortunately he fell ill last year and his entire schedule got disturbed. Since the film required lot of stunts I didn't want to risk his health and started looking for another story and that's when 'Namastey London' happened. Also, NL didn't have a role suitable for an actor of his caliber but we all missed him during shoots of NL.

How did NL happen?

NL happened accidentally. Once Akshay and I were having casual conversation and Akshay narrated an incident that happened to one of his friends and I immediately reacted that this is the story and started working on it.

With every film you work on a new genre, is it planned or does it just happen?

If I try to stick to a certain genre I may become content. Since I have done that before I won't be able to give 100% to my next. But when you go for different genre with every film, you are worried about whether you will do justice to all and you work with more sincerity. I love tension and fear and work better under such circumstances.

You often bring best out of Akshay Kumar...

It is a wrong notion. He has done good job in 'Hera Pheri', 'Khakhi', 'Garam Masala', 'Jaan-e-Mann', etc. He is a gifted actor and if people still believe that I can work wonders for him than I am more than happy.

Akshay and Katrina's pairing didn't create any box-office magic with 'Humko Deewana Kar Gaye', but you still went for it?

I do my casting based on characters and not on combinations that work at the BO. Akshay is playing a boy from Punjab and Katrina is a girl who was born and brought up in UK and both fit their characters respectively.

Many believe that there were certain flaws in the script of the NL...

Different people react to different situations in different ways. If you observe closely the best of scripts have had some flaws. To me NL is my best script till date.

Most believe that after transporting drama to a high point you often go wrong in the climax?

I feel 'Waqt' had a brilliant climax. The climax of NL is receiving claps from the audience. However, I do agree that the climax of 'Aankhen' was not up to the mark, but we were short on time to reshoot it.

What was it like to work alongside Himesh and Javed Akhtar who have never teamed up before?

Both have their own individual style and I knew that their combination would work, the results are for you to see. In my film, the whole team was given total freedom to get best out of them. Due to this, the Himesh/Javed team worked wonders for the film's music.

Your films have not crossed or gone beyond the hopes of India...

This is where trade people make or break the prospects of any film. In certain cases, where top makers are involved and whose film do not succeed that much at interiors, people do not talk much about it. But in case of certain makers, they label him fast saying that his films do not succeed worldwide. Take the case of NL, on Friday the trade people were saying its a flop, on Sunday the same people were saying it has averaged at the BO. By Tuesday the reactions were that its doing good business. Now, what do you say about such people's mentality?

What about the film you were supposed to start with Salman Khan?

We have talked about that. We both want to work on a film. However as long as we do not get the proper script we will not go ahead with it.

You had signed a couple of directors to start work on some of your films...

I haven't signed any directors but I have had talks with them. Within next few days I may finalize all the details.

Your next genre?

No thriller, no romantic film and also no family drama for my next. Just wait and watch.

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